Maple Leafs Make Waves with Major Trade Ahead of NHL Start

One day before the start of the new NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets agree on a trade.

The Canadians send winger Matthew Knies along with Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae, and a 2027 second-round pick in the NHL Draft to Columbus. In return, Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins move to Toronto.

The 26-year-old Marchenko is signed by the Maple Leafs to a new six-year contract, effective from 2027, worth 75 million dollars. The Russian had announced before the last NHL Draft that he would not sign a new contract in Columbus.

Knies and Marchenko with Similar Scoring Numbers

Marchenko enters his fifth NHL season after being selected by the Blue Jackets in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

The winger finished last season with 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 76 games. After 292 NHL appearances, he holds 208 points (102 goals, 106 assists). He is in the final year of his contract, earning a salary of 3.85 million dollars.

Knies concluded the most recent season with a career-high of 66 points (23 goals, 43 assists) in 79 games. In total, the 23-year-old has played 267 games, 27 of them in the playoffs, for Toronto. During this time, he was involved in 174 goals (75 goals, 99 assists).

The American had signed a six-year contract with an average salary of 7.75 million dollars in July 2025.